Born at Picton, Ontario on 1 August 1899, son of Alfred Yarwood, he came to Manitoba and received BSc (1923) and MSc (1924) degrees from the University of Manitoba, followed by two years of postgraduate studies at the University of Minnesota (1925-1926). He worked as a teacher, serving as the Principal of Glenlawn Collegiate (1943-1957) and received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal in 1953. In retirement he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1966 and died there on 9 September 1967.